Taste of Doubt
by eternal.dust
Summary: Bo aids Tamsin in the fight against the Morrigan's thugs. As the night continues, she gets more than she bargained for. Valkubus. Post 3x06 Kenzi Scale.


**A/N: So I wrote this about 6 months ago before S4 premiered. And yes, it did take me this long to finish it. I was ready to abandon the idea, but I decided that we need some S3 Valkubus memories to keep us going. As far as I am concerned, S4 does not exist for me. This will be a one-shot for now because I suck at updating. I hope you guys like it. :)**

* * *

It was a sweltering night. Even with the sun already a distant memory when it dipped below the horizon, the sticky heat lingered and creeped into every single pore. Bo fanned herself as she marched with purpose towards the Dal, her mind dead-set on battling the humidity with a cold mug of beer.

It had been a hell of a day battling reptilian fae in the swampy forest, getting mud everywhere on her favorite leather jacket, and having to soak in the bath for an hour to wash out the stench of her adventures. The last she had seen of Kenzi, the small human was knocked out cold on the couch, exhausted.

With Lauren otherwise occupied with some research, Bo decided to hitch a ride with Dyson to the Dal to blow off some steam. The wolf had driven off at the last minute, heading for the station, leaving Bo on her own.

"Who needs a drinking buddy anyway?" the succubus muttered dejectedly. "I'm totally not alone and talking to myself right now." Bo started with a couple steps, but before she could make more progress, she found herself frozen in place, five feet away from the Dal's entrance. She couldn't find the strength to move.

Up ahead, shuffling at a deliberate pace was the lean, tall frame of a very familiar blonde limping down the alleyway, one arm holding her ribs while the other was used to steady herself against a wall. Bo stopped short, suddenly surprised by the heaviness that pooled in her chest. It wasn't pain, exactly - she didn't even know what it was. But the longer she stood and watched, the more this strange sensation continued to throb against her ribcage.

The sight before her had completely blown her plans for sure. What was it with this damn valkyrie that continued to surprise her in the most unexpected ways? Sometimes she wondered if it was a good or a bad thing. And despite the fierce desire compelling her to ignore it and walk straight into the bar, Bo knew she couldn't.

Tamsin might be ninety-nine percent bitch, but Bo saw the one percent that had aided her when Kenzi went missing. To say that she owed the valkyrie a favor was an understatement.

Kenzi was her heart, after all.

"Tamsin!" Bo called. The valkyrie's frame froze before her foot hit the ground. Slowly, painfully, she twisted around, a wry smirk tugging at her lips as she leaned with her back gingerly against the wall.

"Fancy meeting you here," Tamsin groaned. Even beneath the dim lighting of the moon, Bo could see the bruises and fresh gashes across the blonde's cheek. She looked like hell, but she was struggling to smile through it. It was so typically her.

Bo charged forward, appearing more eager than she wanted to reveal. "What the hell happened to you?" She stood before the prideful valkyrie, eyes searching for an answer beneath that grinning façade. The blonde usually towered over the succubus, but here she looked diminished and fragile despite whatever pretense she was trying to pull off. Bo felt something like anger taking a hold of her.

"It's just a scratch," the blonde coughed. She winced as the action sent a sharp pain to her sides, knocking the remaining thoughts from her head. She wasn't going to say it but Bo looked pissed – and, dare she imagine it, a bit concerned? It was amusing until Tamsin realized that she was slightly drunk as well and that might have impaired her perception a bit.

"Scratch, huh?" Bo asked dubiously, her eyes narrowing as they roamed the mess before her. She'd be blind to believe it. Whoever Tamsin had gotten into a scuffle with certainly wasn't human. "Who did this to you?" she demanded, her tone harsh.

The valkyrie looked like she was ready to confess, her lips slightly opening. But then she clamped them shut – tight-lipped as usual – and maintained a mysterious smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Bo rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But you need to get cleaned up." The succubus approached the quietly suffering blonde, her right arm instinctively thrown forward to rest on Tamsin's shoulder. The valkyrie waved her off and stood up a little straighter, a desperate attempt to show that she was still in control. "Are we really going to fight over this?" Bo's patience was wearing thin.

"I said I was _fine_." Tamsin emphasized, the smirk disappearing into a scowl as her brows furrowed at the succubus. The next series of coughs that seized her betrayed her declaration entirely and the valkyrie doubled over, gasping for breath.

Resigned, Bo stepped back, the distance between them widening again. "Look, I still haven't forgotten what you've done for me and Kenzi," Bo said softly, trying to keep her gaze elsewhere. In the short amount of time that she knew Tamsin, she'd almost grown accustomed to the woman's arrogance – and so knowing the reaction she was going to get if she kept pushing, Bo decided to try a different approach. "I still owe you."

Tamsin stiffened and looked up. "I thought we were even." Her mouth hung slightly open as she gazed at Bo quizzically. It wasn't the first time that the succubus had taken her by surprise, but Tamsin felt like she was being blindsided all over again.

"You helped me save Kenzi's _life_. We're even when I say we are." Bo stole a quick glance at the valkyrie and was relieved to find a small smile playing on her lips. Subconsciously, the succubus released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and pressed forward timidly.

Tamsin exhaled. "Fine. If I go along, will you shut up?"

"That works, too." Bo fought back a smile of her own as she stepped over to help Tamsin upright. The blonde groaned and leaned into her, giving the succubus a brief pause. Their arms touched and Bo was suddenly on edge, her nerves buzzing, her skin tingling and wholly sensitive to even the slightest brush of air.

The valkyrie eyed her strangely, and Bo tried to turn her head as her cheeks began to flush intensely. For awhile, the two of them simply stood in place, arrested by this sudden awkwardness that flowed through the air. Normally, with the bar so close, this would have all been resolved with a few shots of hard liquor.

Breaking the silence, Tamsin cleared her throat and - finally ignoring whatever thought that nearly manifested into actual words - she said instead, "My truck's parked down there."

As if on cue, the back door behind them flew open - kicked out so violently it nearly flew off the hinges. Two thick and muscled bodies emerged. Bo's eyes flicked from one brute to the next. _This day just keeps getting better and better, _she mused.

The one closest to the door turned towards both women and sneered, thrusting a beefy, tattooed arm forward and pointing at Tamsin. "Think you can get away that easily, valkyrie bitch?"

His companion flexed his bulging biceps and slammed a balled fist into his open palm. Bo was fixated on those arms, apprehensive that one swing from them would send both her and Tamsin flying twenty feet backwards. No wonder the valkyrie looked like she had tangoed with a meat grinder when she had found her.

The succubus quickly plastered on a fake grin, pushing the blonde backwards as she whispered behind her, "Alright, Forrest. Time to make a run for it. I've got this."

"Really?" Tamsin's voice came out in strangled shock.

"Just get to the truck," Bo gritted. "I can hold them off for now."

The blonde considered this for a split second and then shrugged. "I guess we're even now."

The minute Tamsin's footsteps retreated, the two henchmen immediately charged. Bo slammed her arm forward, clotheslining the first oncoming brute in the chest. Though it wasn't enough to knock him off his feet, the attack surprised him as he staggered backwards.

"Boys, come on," Bo taunted, the cheeky grin still defiant on her lips. "I can play nice. We can all play nice. In fact, let's all go back inside and I can get you a beer."

"Stay out of the Morrigan's business, succubitch!"

The harsh response elicited a raised eyebrow from the brunette. "Wow, that's rude."

"We ain't got time for this. Let's just finish her off and go after the blonde."

Bo smiled nervously as they began to circle her, though she kept them in her field of vision at all times, turning in sync.

This time they attacked from opposite ends, attempting to box her in. Bo landed a kick to her right and quickly rolled out of the way. The uninjured one threw a punch, but she ducked it in time and grabbed him by the collars, slamming him into the nearest wall.

It looked like getting a cold beer was out of the schedule for tonight, but she could make due with a feed anyway. Her brown eyes were washed away as her succubus blue seized control. Bo parted her lips and began to rip the blue wisps of chi through from the giant henchman's open mouth. He began to shudder beneath her grip as his body grew heavier and heavier until he slid to the ground, unconscious.

"You bitch, what did you do to him?!" The shout came from behind her. Before Bo could turn around to face the final brute, she heard the loudest, most sickening crash. The brute screamed as he was sent flying with a vicious force straight into the nearby alley wall.

There was a resounding _crack, _followed by the deafening screech of tires when Bo looked up to see the driver's door to Tamsin's truck swinging open.

The valkyrie grinned from inside. "Get in."

* * *

When Tamsin looked through the windshield and saw the same street sign from ten minutes earlier, she became concerned. "Where the hell are you taking us?"

She directed the question with a sharp turn of her head towards Bo in the driver's seat. She'd only resigned to allow the succubus to drive her one and only valuable possession because she could barely lift her arms without feeling like her ribs might crack indefinitely. Those two bastards had gotten lucky when they ambushed her in a drunken state.

"I was just rounding the block," Bo replied, as if that was the most logical thing ever.

"That kind of defeats the whole point of escaping, don't you think?" Tamsin scolded, her voice rising in volume.

"Oh relax, Bonnie and Clyde. I left one of them in a sex-crazed stupor and the other one just gave the alley a new coat of paint."

Tamsin chuckled, amused. The succubus did have a point. "So, where to now?"

"Well, since my plans have been blown for the evening, time to head back to the shack. We can patch you up at least."

Tamsin let out a sharp breath and settled into her seat, closing her eyes. "I should be fine in a couple of minutes. Don't make too much noise."

"Hey!" Bo leaned over and swatted at the valkyrie's arm. "You're not nodding off until you give me some answers. Why did the Morrigan's thugs attack you?"

The valkyrie's green gaze softened-not for the first time, anyway, but it became more of a habit than she'd like to admit. Tamsin blinked it away and spoke, her attention still focused ahead. "How the hell should I know?" she answered unconvincingly. "They both sucked at pool, I can tell you that much. I guess they didn't appreciate my impromptu lesson." She smiled and recalled images of the cue stick snapping in half as she swung it at the two brutes and smashed an eight-ball into one of the idiots' nose.

Bo scoffed, keeping her eye on the road. "And you expect me to believe that? You must have done something to piss them off royally. I thought you guys were on the same team."

At these words, Tamsin straightened up, her shoulders tense, a scowl setting in her features. "Just because I'm dark fae doesn't mean I play for team stupid." There was an irritation in her tone, and the defensiveness took Bo by surprise.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure, you didn't. You got a hell of a surprise when you realized Dyson's new partner was dark fae, or did I remember wrong?"

"Well, you were sort of a bitch, okay?" Bo admitted, a small smile tugging at her lips. "But you helped me rescue Kenzi when nobody else would, so I might have been too quick to judge."

"I _am_ a bitch, but only for good reason. Besides, that little pipsqueak seemed like she meant a lot to you…" Tamsin quickly coughed and then regretted she'd ever said that. _Way to go_.

Bo's eyes suddenly welled up at the thought of losing Kenzi. "She does," the succubus murmured softly. "If we didn't make it that day…" Her voice trailed off as a few tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Okay, can we dial it down with the waterworks? Nobody died that day-well, nobody who didn't deserve it-but _I _will if you don't drive faster." The valkyrie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Score another one in the bitch department but she just didn't like crying.

Bo wiped at her eyes and tried to smile. "I'm sorry," she sniffed. "It's gone. I'm done."

"Thank Odin." Tamsin rested back against the scratchy upholstery of her seat and fixed her eyes on the road ahead. Nearly identical grey buildings and trees rushed by in monotonous fashion and soon enough she was starting to feel a little drowsy. This was why she'd always hated being driven. It made her feel helpless; and not to mention, it was boring as fuck.

With the silence settling in, Tamsin grew more aware of the throbbing pain in her ribs as she breathed. Slowly, she lifted her shirt to examine the damage, exhaling an agitated groan when she saw that the discolored bruises had not yet faded. _Son of a_… She cursed under her breath. She had always known that her healing had slowed down for quite awhile, but she had always hoped that she might be surprised-that it wasn't really near the end of her cycle…

The disappointment still clinging to her thoughts, Tamsin's eyes momentarily lifted and what she saw completely startled her. Bo's gaze was transfixed on the valkyrie's still exposed abdomen, her attention nowhere on the road. And what nested in those brown eyes was something Tamsin had been all too familiar with when she strutted into the gym her first day on the job, recalling the leery catcalls. _Lust_.

Bo's expression was heavy with it, and were it anyone else Tamsin would have been flattered. But a lustful succubus was about as shocking as the grass being green. And with valkyries being bred with the most desirable physical attributes, it was a wonder why their two species weren't already predestined for sexual escapades and… _What the fuck is going on with me? _

Tamsin cleared her throat and dropped the hem of her white shirt, sitting up as Bo caught herself with embarrassment and snapped her gaze forward.

"So, how much longer?" the blonde asked, smirking.

"W-what? Uh, I-I'm not sure. Um..." She glanced wildly at their surroundings, suddenly overcome with frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't remember this street," Bo stammered.

Tamsin lunged her upper body forward, forgetting that just a minute ago she could barely move. "You got us lost? Jesus Christ, you are the worst getaway driver _ever_."

"Well, you try driving while-"

"While what?" Tamsin prodded.

Bo quieted and exhaled in self-defeat, feeling common sense escaping along with the air from her lips. She didn't know why she was so distracted. Actually, she didn't know why she _should_ be so distracted, until the answer mocked her in the form of impatient green eyes, disheveled blonde hair, and a lean, toned body that she was just dying to touch. _Yes, forget the fact that she just got beaten up you disgusting pervert. _

Bo frantically shook away her thoughts and tried to ignore Tamsin's penetrating gaze from beside her. She eased her foot off the accelerator and turned the truck to the side, slowing down.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm pulling over."

"About time. I'm driving." Tamsin turned with a grunt towards the passenger side door, ready to pry it open.

Quickly, Bo placed her right hand onto the valkyrie's left thigh. "Wait." She didn't mean to grip so tight, but Tamsin immediately froze and stared at the brunette's pale fingers, her breathing hitched. The blonde opened her mouth, about to shout a shaky expletive but her protest was muffled when Bo leaned across, crashing their lips into each other.

The kiss took Tamsin by surprise as she nearly fell backwards, but she could feel Bo's arms snake around her neck, pulling her in and holding her in place. Though she was trapped between a succubus and a hard place, the valkyrie found that she didn't mind the surprise attack.

Tamsin kissed back, feeling Bo's tongue slipping into her mouth, her lips warm and soft as they pressed even harder. She was suddenly lightheaded, melting into the kiss despite her brain screaming otherwise, completely unaware when Bo released wisps of her orange chi into her.

Tamsin felt a sudden rush that extended to the uttermost sensitive nerves of her body, which by now was everywhere. The pain in her ribs was gone, the rawness of her scratches healed. The valkyrie broke away, sliding two fingers across her right cheek and feeling smooth skin.

Bo smiled. "Better?"

"Y-yeah." The blonde suddenly felt her skin flushing and quickly averted her gaze, a mixture of anger and resentment tearing through her. If Bo's intentions were only to heal, then why did she... _Why did she trick you into thinking it could be more, right? _Goddammit, even her own consciousness was mocking her. "Can we go now?" Tamsin asked flatly. The longer this took, the worse it was going to get.

"What's the rush?" the succubus replied teasingly, unaware of Tamsin's sour state.

"What's the rush?" the blonde echoed outrageously. "I want my truck back and I want this night to be over!"

Bo inhaled sharply and leaned back, biting her lip, eyes downcast as if she had just been scolded. Tamsin shook her head and quickly unlatched the handle to the car door, the need to escape suddenly overwhelming. With a forceful slam of the door behind her, she breathed in the humid night air, seeing nothing but darkness for miles ahead. She eyed Bo still sitting inside the truck and the guilt began to gnaw at her. She felt like shit.

_It's not her fault, _Tamsin thought. The valkyrie cursed again and decided to get back inside. She reached for the door handle and suddenly felt movement behind her. Just as she turned, a sharp blade sliced into her shoulder, the pain hot and searing. Instinctively, Tamsin tried to press against the bleeding wound with her other hand but she was thrown backwards, her back slamming into the side of the truck. The force sent the blonde ricocheting face first to the ground, rocking the vehicle and startling the brunette from inside.

"Tamsin?" Bo immediately exited and rounded the front of the truck, her brown eyes widening in shock when she saw the valkyrie being pinned down by a dark clothed assailant. The attacker pressed the tip of a menacing dagger firmly against Tamsin's neck, and in that split second Bo felt her heart drop.

Tamsin was hurt, one shoulder bleeding darkly as she struggled to hold off the dagger that threatened to puncture her neck. In an instant, Bo sprinted and tackled the dark figure off of the valkyrie, the both of them rolling off to the side and fighting for dominance. The figure struck, landing a punch into Bo's jaw and knocking her senseless. She tried to swim for clarity, but another jab intensified the dizzying haze, which left her just vulnerable enough for the dagger to sink in between her ribs. Bo gasped, shuddering with pain as the blade plunged through to the hilt and was swiftly yanked out, causing her torso to involuntarily arch upwards before it slammed back down again.

She thought she heard a yell until all the sounds around her became muted. Her eyelids fluttered, but she willed them open to stare at the pitch black sky, the sparse silver stars that seemed to grow more distant as her brain begged to shut down. Her breathing became shallow, each demand for air yielding less result for her lungs. She could swear she saw a pair of those silver stars turning green...

And like a miracle she was gazing into Tamsin's eyes, the Valkyrie's face hovering just slightly above hers. Those normally expressive brows were furrowed, her small full lips moving quickly, muttering something. Then they stopped and descended into Bo's, warm and soft.

She breathed Tamsin in, kissing urgently and hungrily, not just for life but for a part of herself that she had denied. She allowed the Valkyrie's scent to awaken her, and not before long Bo found the strength to lift herself up, closing her eyes and deepening the kiss as she began to pull out Tamsin's chi. She ran her tongue along the blonde's lips, savoring each taste-so rich and decadent, like power and desire bottled for centuries, unclaimed.

Strong hands glided behind her, pulling her in as their bodies hugged closer. Bo threaded her fingers through Tamsin's long blonde hair, slowly opening her eyes. "God, Tamsin," she moaned. "Why can't I get enough of you?"

With a sly smile, Tamsin pressed their foreheads together. "Because I make you doubt everything else."

* * *

**A/N #2: Pervy scenes dedicated to Josepho :P**


End file.
